Some Blog News!

Here are just a few things that are new at Proverb31girl.com:

1. Since I’ve been posting a lot about how to save money and there is a lot of interest out there I’ve decided to make it easy on everyone and create a “Money Saving Ways” category in the menu. Hope that helps!
2. I’m working on integrating what Proverbs 31 is scripturally. Some people know about this chapter in the bible but not everyone does. And from what I’ve heard, a lot of people get the wrong impression of her (in my opinion). I hope to use my blog to help women want to BE like her, not throw their hands up in the air and claim 5 reasons why they can’t/don’t want to be like her.
3. I’ve created a coupon swapping group on Facebook! There is a lot of interest in how to save money and one way is to be in a community of people who have the same goals. In the group we’ll be sharing deals we find, advice we have, blogs we follow and most important, exchanging coupons. Click here to join!
4. A button and banner for easy sharing is coming soon!

Some Blog News!

Here are just a few things that are new at Proverb31girl.com:

1. Since I’ve been posting a lot about how to save money and there is a lot of interest out there I’ve decided to make it easy on everyone and create a “Money Saving Ways” category in the menu. Hope that helps!
2. I’m working on integrating what Proverbs 31 is scripturally. Some people know about this chapter in the bible but not everyone does. And from what I’ve heard, a lot of people get the wrong impression of her (in my opinion). I hope to use my blog to help women want to BE like her, not throw their hands up in the air and claim 5 reasons why they can’t/don’t want to be like her.
3. I’ve created a coupon swapping group on Facebook! There is a lot of interest in how to save money and one way is to be in a community of people who have the same goals. In the group we’ll be sharing deals we find, advice we have, blogs we follow and most important, exchanging coupons. Click here to join!
4. A button and banner for easy sharing is coming soon!

Couponing Made Easy with these Links!

I’ve mentioned it before but I think it’s worth mentioning again. There are many people out there doing the hard and tedious tasks such as finding coupons, finding sales, matching them up and figuring out how to get the best deal possible. You don’t have to do it yourself – you just have to follow the blogs of people that are doing it and doing it well! I save hours by subscribing to the feed of all of these blogs and just reading the posts of the deals I’m interested in. There are many ways to follow blogs, personally I use Google Reader. I can tell you more about that if you’re interested (just let me know in the comments below or on facebook). There are also some sites that I only follow on Facebook and that’s just because I’m an unorganized mess lately But if you’re a frequent facebooker that’s a great option too.

Coupon Blogs I Follow: (there are MANY MANY out there so don’t think these are the only ones!)

In alphabetical order:

So those are blogs I recommend. Now on to MANUFACTURER WEBSITES that I visit for coupons. All I did was spend some time going through my cabinets and fridge and made a list of the brands I buy often. Then I used google to find their website and looked on their site for a coupon page. I also looked at their facebook page and found that many, many manufacturers put out coupons that way. Another thing I’ve begun doing is emailing the company asking for coupons. It’s surprising how many responses I’ve gotten that my coupons will be in the mail!

Now on to COUPON WEBSITES. There are sites out there dedicated to providing you with coupons. Here are some of the ones I visit:

1.  Most people know about Coupons.com. But do you know that Coupons.com feeds into Swagbucks? So you’re still printing the same coupons but for every coupon you use, you earn 10 swagbucks! It’s really awesome. The link below will take you to see what I’m talking about.

2. If you’re not interested in doing Swagbucks, then there is:

Smartsource.com

And the last thing is COUPON SWAPPING. This is pretty new to me but there seem to be a lot of sites out there dedicated to coupon swapping! Does anyone have one they recommend? Currently I’ve been cutting out/printing coupons for friends & family and we’ll exchange but I would love to join a group that has more people or even start a small one here. Is anyone interested? Couponing really is about helping each other out so let me know your thoughts. We could easily keep an eye out for each other and mail out coupons. If you’re interested contact me or comment below.

I saved $104 on groceries and spent $167 – here’s how!

As with many families on 1 salary (and most even with 2!) I’m on a budget when it comes to food shopping. I don’t decide “okay today I’ll go food shopping,” run into 1 store, buy a bunch of stuff that looks yummy, swipe the credit card and go home. My trips are planned by clipping/printing coupons, looking at circulars, calculating my budget, looking up recipes, making a list and then taking a day to shop at 3 different stores (carefully timed as my little girl still naps and can’t sit still for too long). Now before you say “yea okay! Who has the time for that?” and close your browser, please promise me you’ll read this whole post before making your conclusion.

Whether you’re a SAHM, SAHD, part-time worker, full-time worker, single parent etc – there ARE ways to save money every time you go to the grocery store. There are ways to save a crazy amount of money if you want to spend HOURS AND HOURS on coupons/shopping and you aren’t particular about what ingredients are in your food but that’s NOT me. As I’ve mentioned before, my husband has to eat gluten-free, I have to eat dairy-free and we eat almost all natural & organic foods. It’s not a cheap lifestyle but it’s what we make work and I want to show you how.

Thanks to following a handful of couponing blogs, visiting the websites of my favorite brands and buying the Sunday paper when necessary, my coupon collection is getting pretty big and it makes shopping prep very easy if you’re collecting coupons as you go rather than all the night before your trip. Tip: Clip and organize in your “free” time. It’s good to print coupons as you see them because some will disappear before you get to them if you wait.

So as to not repeat myself, I’m going to link to previous blogs I’ve posted about saving money and eating healthy:

Finding Coupons, Budgets and Eating Healthy, Easy Money Saving Tips and Special Eating Diets

Yesterday I shopped at 3 stores: ShopRite, Stop & Shop and Nature’s Pantry. All of these stores are regional but you can use the same methods/coupons in most stores (Stop & Shop and Giant are the same company actually).

Store #1: ShopRite. My morning trip/pre-nap time.

Why: I only recently added ShopRite to my shopping routine. It’s about 1 1/2 miles from my house which makes it the perfect “run to” place, they put out store coupons, they participate in their own savings programs as well as Cellfire, they double coupons up to .99, their gluten-free/organic aisle has a great selection, they carry organic produce at decent prices and are often putting items on sale that there are coupons for. At this time I use ShopRite as my mostly snacks/coupons for shopping but it’s possible that it may replace Stop & Shop with time.

Here was my trip:

Store #2: Stop & Shop. My after lunch trip.

Why: I’ve been shopping at Stop & Shop since I went food shopping with my parents as a kid. Then I worked there for almost 3 years in high school so I know the store’s layout with my eyes closed which helps. They have a great gluten-free/organic section which is never crowded, put a lot of food we eat on sale, have their own line of organic & natural foods (and meat), double coupons up to .99, have a program that every dollar spent goes to a discount gas program and put out bonus points in the circular every month (last month Chris used the points and got .50 off per gallon at Shell – that was $5 off!), and have low prices on Applegate products which we buy often. I’ve had recent problems with their organic produce going bad quickly so be careful of that.

Here was my trip:

Store #3: Nature’s Pantry. My late afternoon trip.

Why: Nature’s Pantry is our local alternative grocery store and I’ve lucked out – it’s minutes from my house, the prices are very good, they accept coupons and put out their own, the store is big and organized just like a regular grocery store (many natural stores intimidate me and ultimately cause my anxiety problems haha), the staff is amazingly friendly and helpful, they put items on sale for a month at a time so you can plan easily and the selection is great!

Here was my trip:

I Recommend…

Every once and a while I take some time to tell my bloggy friends about some sites they might be interested in. These sites are never “sponsors” or scams…they are truly sites/organizations that I participate in and hope you will too.

1. Swagbucks. I post about it all of the time on facebook but if you haven’t joined Swagbucks yet then you’re really missing out on some free stuff! It’s a pretty simple concept with a pretty complex system. The basics is that you have all different ways to earn “bucks” (points). Then you trade these bucks in for prizes or gift cards (to date I’ve earned $50 in Amazon Gift Cards). There are daily tasks you can do to earn points (answer a daily poll, read a few ads, do a search using their search engine, play games), there are random ways to earn points (doing surveys, watching video clips, going to sponsor sites) and then there are special time-sensitive ways to earn points (special codes given out on FB and twitter, contests, collecting special bills on holidays etc). What you put in is what you get. You can spend minutes/day or week on it or you can spend hours on it. You also earn major points for referring someone (every time they collect points doing a search so do you!). Anyway, it’s really a fun and cool site. I enjoy it and so do a few of my friends. Consider it!

2. Recyclebank. Another program where you collect points and trade them in for prizes/coupons/discounts. This site promotes recycling, living a “green” lifestyle and ways to help preserve the environment. It’s a quick, fun way to learn and earn

3. Expired Coupons for Overseas Military. Have you ever looked at a coupon and realized it expired before you got to use it? Personally, I hate when this happens – but I hate even more that I just have to throw it out. Well, no longer! Did you know that military families overseas can use coupons that have been expired for up to 6 months? I’m so excited to finally put my expired coupons to good use! This group is in the states so for the cost of an envelope and postage stamp you can mail them your coupons and they’ll send them to military families who could really use them! You also have the option of “adopting” a family overseas and mailing them the coupons directly. It’s such a cool idea and I highly recommend everyone that “does couponing” consider participating in this program or one similar. Every little bit helps.

4. And of course I have to recommend deeflash for new music to add to your collection Sure I’m biased because he’s my husband but if you haven’t checked out his music yet please do so!

A Craft for the Not Crafty

If you know me you’re probably thinking “um, yea okay, you’re craftier than I am.” But the truth is, I’m not. I have the MIND of a crafter but absolutely no follow through, patience or ability to make things look as good as those crafty people out there. Really, just ask the 2 cross-stitch projects that are not finished, the countless puzzles started and then put away, the sewing machine that is fixed but untouched, the patterns and materials bought and sitting in the closet and all the pretty art supplies that look a little too clean after 4 years of owning them.

Anyone out there relating to this? Well I’m proud to say that I just did a “crafty” project in about 5 minutes and it’s something ANYONE can do!

Chris and I are constantly bothered by the coupons that print one to a page and then leave you with half a sheet of unused paper. If you’re as into couponing as I am, you have probably thought about this also. So we of course thought to use the paper as scrap paper but for people in an apartment attempting to stay clean and organized, there was really no smart way to store/use the scraps. But today I did something with them. I made a notepad out of materials I had around the house and no it’s not perfect nor worthy of selling but it’s good enough for me and most importantly, it was completely free, took about 5 minutes to complete AND is reusing materials I would have thrown out.

What you need: paper (any size, any color), a ruler if you’re fancier than I am, 1 colored paper/post it, a hole punch and a piece of ribbon.

All I did was trace one of my internet coupons and cut it out. I then used that as a “template” to create similar sheets with all of the paper I had. You can use a ruler and make it look real good but I just did it freehand. I then stacked all of the papers together and trimmed whatever edges really didn’t line up. Then I got fancy and took a colored post it and cut out a little rectangle to give the notepad a little color. I aligned the post it to the top and in small stacks, punched a hole in the center of each sheet. I then cut a piece of ribbon, stringed all of the papers together and tied the ribbon into a bow.

Yup, THAT’S IT. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s imperfect and I’m proud of it! I might even get crazy and glue a magnet to the back and hang it on the fridge.

Find Those Coupons!

I told you I’d do it and since then I’ve been anxiously putting it off. I KNOW I’m going to forget 5 things I want to say so I’m looking to my readers to pick up the slack in the comments field!

Anyway, here it goes. My top ways to find coupons:

1 – The obvious spot: newspapers. Sunday newspapers are loaded with coupons but sometimes there are no inserts and sometimes there are no good coupons so if you’re like me and don’t want the paper or to waste your money/time…listen to the blogs. There are some coupon bloggers who will post what coupon inserts will be in that week’s paper. Then on Sunday morning go to the dollar store and pick up a discounted paper! Yes really, the dollar store sells them for a dollar! But be careful, make sure there are coupons inside the paper you pick up.

2 – Magazines. A lot of health food stores and grocery stores have free magazines that have coupons in them. They’re either by the door or in the produce area usually. Look around and grab 1 or 2!

3 – Coupon Sites. I’m sure there are more than I use but I print coupons from: coupons.com, smartsource.com, mambosprouts.com, redplum.com and couponnetwork.com. It’s also great to join RecycleBank and earn points to “purchase” coupons.

4 – Coupon Blogs. I could spend hours trying to find coupons or I could be smart and let other people do the work for me. It’s so easy to follow blogs and there are many ways to do it.

• You can visit a blog and subscribe to get their posts by email. Don’t want to clutter up your inbox? There are 2 options: 1-create a new email address that you use purely for coupons and sweepstakes. I highly recommend this so if your email address DOES get sent to the wrong person and you do start getting spammed, it’s an email address you don’t care about. 2 -create a filter in your inbox that coupon emails get put directly in a special folder and you just click on that folder to see what came in. It won’t be sitting in your inbox.
• You can visit a blog and suscribe to get their posts by RSS Feed. There are sooo many services out there that help you keep track of your blogs. Personally I use Google Reader which links right over from my Gmail account. It’s super easy to use and I keep all of my blogs in a special coupon folder.
• Follow on Facebook. If you frequent your news feed you’ll catch deals as they’re posted and have better chances at getting freebies with limits.
• Follow on Twitter. An easy way to see what deals are popping up.

5 – Manufacturer websites. Sometimes the best coupons are sitting right on the website of your favorite brand. I visited each website of the brands I use most and bookmarked them in my web browser. When it comes time to go food shopping I quickly visit each site and see what coupons are available. Since we eat mostly organic and gluten-free this really saves us a lot of money. The ones that I often get coupons for are: Newmans Own, Stonyfield Farm, Pepperidge Farm, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Morningstar Farms, Green & Black, Earths Best, Celestial Seasonings, Salada Tea, Horizon Dairy, Organic Valley and Santa Cruz Organics. Don’t forget to check their facebook pages too – a lot of coupons and deals are found there! Not finding coupons? Email and ask them! I’ve done this with a few coupons and surprise surprise, they mailed me coupons!

6 – Coupon Swapping. I have some friends that are into coupons and I make sure to send them coupons I think they’d like. In return, most of them do the same. It’s an awesome way to “beat” the print limit and get lots of coupons for things you buy often or can stock up on.

I’m sure there are many more tips on how to find coupons so please share below! I’m not an expert and try not to obsess over saving money. It’s really about doing the best you can and helping others do the same. Also, if you have a CREDIBLE coupon blog or site and would like to post it below, I’m okay with that. Please know that if you send my readers to a spam site or contact them without permission you will be reported, blocked and frowned upon.

Oh You Extreme Couponer You

You’re seeing it all over TV. In the news. On facebook. Probably even on Twitter. Coupons are trendy!? Geeks are cool, math is fun and coupons are trendy – is this heaven?

I remember growing up seeing my parents every weekend morning sitting at the kitchen table cutting coupons and looking at circulars. My dad is frugal and always taught me to not spend money I don’t have and save money on things you were going to buy anyway. It’s really a great way to live and is the best advice I can pass on to people I know.

Unfortunately, as with all trends, we’re at the peak of people being stupid (in my humble opinion) with saving money, freebies and coupons. I’m finding the majority of people are on one side or the other. They see someone with coupons and think “oh god, it’s one of THOSE extreme couponers. They’re going to empty the shelves and leave nothing for ‘normal’ shoppers” OR they’re the couponer who is obsessing over how much they’re saving and getting so stinkin’ prideful that it’s really not about saving money for their family – it’s about bragging about what they’re getting and how much they’re getting it for. I admit, it feels AWESOME to have a cart full of items and pay not much for them…but is that a biblical thing to do? If you’re taking from the rich (corporations) and giving to the poor (food pantries), then sure. But are you storing up “things” just for yourself? Are you getting prideful with your savings? Are coupons knocking your balance in life off? Are you putting saving money more important than the real important things in life? I’m not accusing anyone…I’m just advising you to keep it in perspective.

I love saving money…but I’ll ONLY buy things (free or not) that I would use without a coupon. Not everyone will agree with me on this..and maybe you’re in a position that you can’t “afford” to buy what you want…but here’s how I shop: I refuse to compromise my family’s health for price. I’m finding that there are many ways to stay on a budget and eat healthy.

• I buy local, organic produce and normally, there is no coupon for that. But what there IS, is in and out of season food. Ever notice the ever changing price of apples and strawberries? Build your fruit palette by buying what’s in-season and as a result is cheaper. There is a reason that prices change, it’s called supply and demand. Buy what’s fresh and learn your price points. It’s important to know if $1.69/lb is a good price.

• Write out a list of meals you’re going to make for a week or two and THEN make your food shopping list. It’s amazing how much money we waste and food we store up by buying what we think we’ll use. Shopping lists are important for not buying impulsively. Trying to eat healthy? Add “3 snacks” to your list…then you have an entire supermarket full of snacks and you get to take the time and pick 3 that you will enjoy. It keeps you from buying things you really don’t want and appreciate the treat you just allowed yourself to have. Go through your coupons and see if you can use any to make your snacks even cheaper.

• Create meals that include meat rather than having meat as the main dish. There is nothing more frugal than using less meat and more rice/beans/vegetables. Soups, chilis, stir-frys etc…there are some great meals out there that are more than a slab of meat with a side of potatoes.

Those are just a few tips that don’t include sales and coupons. Now don’t get me wrong, i’m ALL for sales and coupons…I’m just saying don’t let it own your life or your meals. Don’t buy the unhealthy food because you got it cheap. Find ways to make the healthier stuff last longer. I’ll be posting soon on more specific ways I use/find coupons. I’m sure some of you are even better at this than me so I’m hoping you’ll post comments to encourage other readers as well. Remember, it’s NOT a competition – it SHOULD be a community. Help your friends save money without letting your pride get in the way. If we all keep it in perspective there will be plenty of sale items (and rainchecks if necessary) to go around. Sure there will always be people who use Extreme Couponing as a guide to store up 45 toothpastes but let’s face it – this show won’t be on forever and people will get bored/run out of room soon. Help people make life-long, money saving changes, not jump on a trend that will fade out with the silly band bracelets that are now 90% off in a store near you.

*Please post comments on NON-COUPON ways to save money. Coupon/Sale blog coming soon…*

Beware the Scarlet Letters

Beware of those beautiful scarlet letters. Not the book. Not the story. Not the history.

The ads.

“Clearance” “Sale” “One Day Only” etc etc.

There’s a phrase that goes “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Well at this point in the year I advise you to forget this saying and bring it back in mid-January 2011. It’s officially Christmas shopping season. Why? Because the stores tell us so. Every single circular has amazing deals on products. Coupon codes, online only sales, 1 day shopping in-store sales, rebates, discounts, free products with a purchase…these deals EXIST and THEY ARE GOOD. It’s just like hell – it exists to all but is often sugar coated in candy red letters so we don’t feel the flames as we fall into its alluring traps. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic but let’s think about this.

Today is November 10th. Christmas is a month and a half away. Have you bought or been tempted to purchase gifts because of a deal you couldn’t pass up? Retailers started early and man they’re good this year.  Falling prices, coupons for every store and black Friday ads circulating since Halloween. The perfect way to stimulate our economy so the stores make money and more and more people end up in accidental debt. Don’t think so? Well, how many people are going to finish the bulk of their Christmas shopping by December 1st and then spend a month not buying anything else when the deals are going to keep getting better? Are you strong enough to not go in the mall for a month during “the best time of the year?” And if you’re daring enough to enter, are you strong enough to resist a 75% off nothing you really need but something you want deal? You may pick up an extra gift or 2 for someone because it’s the “perfect gift.” Or maybe you’ll treat yourself because you’re done shopping for other people.

The stores may seem like they’re helping you out but long-term, are they?

My advice is to do your research before you go shopping, stick to your lists, print out your coupons, use your rebate sites, use your coupon codes, save on the not rushed deliveries but most importantly, if it’s not the absolute perfect gift for the absolute perfect price, wait. It’ll be hard. But it should pay off.

This year before purchasing anything I ask myself these questions:

• Who is it for?
• Will they love it?
• Is it what I would pay if it were full price or am I buying it because it’s on sale?
• Does it exceed the amount I want to/can afford to spend on this person?
• Will it get even cheaper?

I’m not saying don’t shop – I myself have already bought a few presents. What I’m saying is be wise. The stores are not your friends, they’re looking to make money. They don’t care how many times you purchase from their store and whether it’s full price or clearance priced. They don’t care if you use cash or credit card (unless of course it’s THEIR credit card they can charge you interest on). And most importantly, they couldn’t care less if you have a debt/balance in January 2011 that wasn’t there in October 2010.

Wishing you all a conscious shopping season – good luck out there!

Helping Your Community: Part II

Yesterday I posted about helping with food drives in your neighborhood. This next way to help your community isn’t event-driven or time sensitive. For me, it’s a new way of living. I’m always wishing I had more time/money/opportunities/ideas to help people. I usually come up short but this time God gave me an idea that is easy to do, costs me fractions of a penny and doesn’t take much time at all. It’s like coupon swapping, but without getting anything in return. I guess we can call it coupon blessing.

I love couponing. I often visit websites that you can print coupons for free (just the cost of paper and ink for your printer) and ocassionally find coupons in magazines. So my collection of coupons is growing. But there are so many times that I see coupons I don’t need or find that a coupon is about to expire that I’ve already printed but won’t end up using. So this is what I’m doing. I’m taking those coupons and as I’m shopping, I put them next to the item. Not hard to do, not timely to do and definitely not costly to do. But imagine how happy someone will be when they go to buy that item and find a coupon sitting there just waiting for them. It’s like putting money in your neighbor’s pocket.

I know some places have bins for coupon swapping but that takes time to go through and sometimes I feel weird taking a coupon or 5 (lol) when I haven’t contributed anything. But this…this idea I like. I challenge you to do the same. Imagine how awesome it would be if a lot of people started doing this? So many people would be blessed.

Want an even CHEAPER way of doing this? I have 1 question for you: Do you get the Sunday newspaper? The newspaper is loaded with coupons and I’m sure you just end up throwing out the ones you don’t need. How about clipping them and bringing them along next time you go grocery shopping or to a pharmacy? CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Supermarkets…so many places take coupons.

Have kids? Bonus! You can make a game of it AND teach them about giving and blessing others.

Anyway, I’ll be doing this and I hope you’ll join me.  As with all things, a little can go a long way.

Helping Your Community: Part I

I think it’s great to help those in need, especially in other countries, but sometimes I think it’s just as, if not more, important to help those in need that live in your area. We all know they exist – wherever you live. It’s not always the guy living under the bridge, the Veteran holding up a sign asking for money or the poor people living in “those” areas of your neighborhood. What about the large family shopping at Walmart who look like they could use some help? Or the family that is struggling with a layoff, or the military family that isn’t getting much from the government…the list goes on and on. Every city has someone that needs help.

The Fishkill Postal Workers are collecting food for the Fishkill Food Pantry to help those in need this holiday season. The list of items that are needed contain inexpensive foods that can be purchased for not much cost to you but will help those in need: pancake mix, syrup, potatoes, jams, jelly, crackers, canned tuna, pasta, stuffing mix, canned fruit, canned vegetables, spam, canned dinners, broth, and cranberry sauce. Think you can spend a little money and buy these items? I bet the person who could use the help will appreciate it much more than you know. If you could afford it, this is such a great and easy way to help out your community.

I challenge you. Find out if your area is doing anything and spend a few dollars helping out. Walmart canned vegetables cost a mere 67 cents a can. Think about it. Starbucks lattes cost anywhere between $3 and $6…imagine what you could get with that amount of money. Want to stretch your dollar even further? Go to some coupon sites and print them out!

Fishkill is collecting the donations this Saturday, all you have to do is leave the items by your mailbox. I challenge and encourage you to do something.

My next blog post will be a 2nd challenge to help your community…make sure to check back soon! Easiest way? Subscribe to my blog either by RSS feed or email address.

Organic, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Without Compromise

My husband has to eat gluten-free. I have to eat dairy-free. We’re quite a catch! haha. You’re probably thinking “so what DO you eat??” Well, it’s a common question and that’s why I’m writing this blog.

When you’re on a special diet it’s easy to assume that you’ll be missing out on the things you love, spending a lot of money, and having a hard time eating out. I’m here to tell you that with some careful planning and a little research this doesn’t have to be true. Here are a few of my tips:

• Go to a speciality natural food store and look for products marked “gluten-free” or “dairy-free.” Some cost a lot, some don’t. Do your research by looking at the top of shelves and bottom – not just eye level.
• Visit the organic section of your local grocery store…many stores are now carrying these products at a cheaper cost than health food stores. Some stores even have their own brands. And most grocery stores will double coupons…something you won’t find at a small natural store. My suggestions: Stop & Shop, Hannafords and now Walmart is starting to carry some.
• Learn which “normal” products are actually gluten-free/dairy-free. Fruits and vegetables, yes. Anything that you eat the skin, buy organic. Anything that you peel the skin – save a few bucks and buy the cheaper option. Chex mix has gluten-free options. Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free, as is rice and many condiments (be careful of BBQ sauce and soy sauce though!).
• Rice milk and almond milk are great substitutes for cow’s milk. As is soy milk and all soy products (like soy yogurt and soy cheese). Tofu products are also substitutes but I’m not a fan of the taste.

That’s a bit to get you started. But let’s be honest, it’s daunting to have to choose between the many options, especially at some of the high costs. So here are some of our favorite products that we recommend:

Dairy-Free Butter: Earth Balance Buttery Spread

Affordable Baking Mix: Betty Crocker’s Gluten-Free Mixes: Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Yellow Cake Mix and Chocolate Cake Mix

Organic Cereals: Cascadian Farms cereals are my favorite.

Gluten-Free Granola: Bakery on Main

Dairy-Free Milk: Rice Dream, it’s thin like Skim Milk. I like it in coffee and in cereal

Organic Meats: Applegate. Love the bacon and hot dogs!

Pre-Packaged Gluten-Free Cookies: Glutino Chocolate and Vanilla Creme Cookies

Chips: Kettle Chips & Food Should Taste Good

Gluten-Free Flour & Pizza Crust Mix: Bob’s Red Mill

Gluten-Free Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns: Kinnikinnick Foods

If you want recommendations for anything else just leave a comment and I’ll do my best

Money Saving Tips that Won’t Make You Cringe

I’ve always been one for getting a good deal (it’s that Jewish part of me!). When I was younger I proudly came home with a  pair of blue sneakers that I bought new for 33 cents. I’ll never forget the looks on my dad and grandpa’s faces…I had topped any deal they’d ever gotten!

Well with now being a 1 income household, saving money and finding bargains isn’t a hobby anymore, it’s a necessity. But I refuse to compromise my happiness, so it’s requiring a strategy! Here is a list of things I’ve discovered. I hope you get something out of this and add to my list by commenting below. The guideline I live by is this: why pay more when I can pay less for the same thing?

1. Before purchasing ANYTHING, I ask myself: Will this benefit myself or my family? Will I get pure satisfaction from this purchase or will I regret it later? Will this purchase matter tomorrow or am I just giving in to my current “want.” This will help you make less emotional purchases (ie: frequent stops at starbucks/dunkin donuts, snack at a gas station, a shirt that’s on sale, another belt or hat, a new purse when the ones you have are fine, lunch out when there is food at home etc.)

2. Buy a water bottle that you love. I found that once I purchased a reusable, BPA free water bottle that suited all of my drinking needs, I was more likely to use it. I bought a $9.99 one at Target that has a pop off top that I can open with one hand and it’s slim enough to fit on the side of my diaper bag. It’s also easy to clean and holds a good amount of water. Now whenever I leave the house I bring a water bottle filled with fresh filtered water with me. It’s perfect for drinking in the car, at the mall, in church, food shopping etc. and *bonus* can be refilled for free anywhere that has a water fountain. This helps me to not purchase a drink because I’m out and thirsty. Get bored of this idea quickly? I mix it up by sometimes throwing in ice cubes and giving it a cold, fresh taste or fill it up with iced tea, juice or anything else I have in the house! Buy large bottles of soda/juice and fill up a water bottle – it’s much cheaper than buying cans and juice packs – plus you’re helping the environment.

3. Make your own beverages. Got some hot tea at home? Make your own pitcher of iced tea! It’s super easy and the instructions are usually right on the box. You can make your own flavors and sweeten it as you prefer. Not only is this free (since you have everything you need at home: tea, water and sugar) but it’s much better for you. Especially if it’s green tea!

4. Buy large and make small. You pay for convenience and packaging. Instead of snack packs and travel sized grocery items – buy the bigger bags/bottles and use ziplock bags to make your own portable snacks. It’s super easy to throw some pretzels in a bag and will be much cheaper than buying them that way. Too much work? Buy the portable snacks if it’ll keep you from purchasing food while you’re out. And, it’s much healthier for you, usually.

5. Coupons are your friend. Uncool? Maybe. But saving $8 off your grocery bill because you printed and cut a piece of paper seems worth it to me. I follow a few coupon blogs and save the posts that I’ll use. It’s much easier than finding the coupons yourself – these women are great at keeping up with the deals so you don’t have to! To do some looking on your own, visit: afullcup.com, coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com and allyou.com. Also visit the websites of the brands you like as many post coupons (ie: Stonyfield Farms, Newmans Own).

6. Learn how to shop at CVS, Walgreens & Rite Aid. I usually only shop at CVS but a lot of people have luck at the other stores also. Once you sign up for their free extracare program you’ll receive coupons and special offers. You’ll receive cash back from purchasing certain items and learn about special deals. Also, CVS takes coupons so using them with sales and cash back offers you can really save some money. I’m not the best at explaining it but do a google search on shopping at CVS and you’ll find a few people who break it down real easy.

7. Buy what you need, not what’s on sale. I’ve learned that even if something is on sale, if it wasn’t something I needed – I still wasted money. This of course is different than stocking up on something you use a lot because it’s on sale. First thing, bad, Second thing, good.

8. Be careful of store credit cards and email updates. It sounds harmless. It even sounds beneficial. But I found that the more emails I got telling me about special deals and offering me coupons, the more I felt the need to shop. Unless they’re offering me something free, it’s best for me to only go shopping when I need to go shopping. So instead of the updates, I just do some research. Visit retailmenot.com and look up what deals are going on at your favorite stores. You’ll be able to get coupon codes and printable coupons just as easy usually.

9. Ordering online can be a real great idea, if you know how to work the online magic. Sign up for ebates.com and receive cash back just for shopping online. Visit retailmenot and get some coupon codes. Try everything! Sometimes you’ll be able to use more than 1 coupon code, offering you a great deal. And be careful of shipping costs. A lot of sites will offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. Only do this if you can stock up on items you need. Don’t “find something” just to make the cut off. Chances are it’s still cheaper to pay the shipping cost.

10. Do your research! Google shopping is an easy way to find out which store has what you’re looking for the cheapest.

11. Don’t eat out – instead, learn to enjoy eating in. It’s expensive to eat out and you usually don’t get a second meal out of it. But eating in usually requires cooking, cleaning and preparation. What I’m doing is making cooking an enjoyable part of the day rather than something I have to do. I bought a cute apron that I enjoy wearing and found a few new recipes I thought would taste yummy. I pour myself a drink, put on some music and find the joy in cooking. I try to find recipes that will produce leftovers so that we have lunch for the next day. For the days there aren’t leftovers, I make sure we have a few “emergency lunches” on hand so that we don’t purchase lunch often. Canned soup, bread, peanut butter, frozen waffles, cereal and oatmeal are often on hand for Chris who eats at work. For me eating at home, I could always make eggs or a baked potato…usually even a hot dog Eating out might be fun but it’s costly and you don’t always know how good the ingredients are so it’s safer to make your own food.

12. Make coffee at home. We buy organic coffee from Sam’s Club and save an insane amount of money by filling up our travel mugs when we’re out on a weekend or heading to work in the morning. Feel like you’re missing out? We’re learning to add spices to our coffee to make the usual brew not so boring. So now when we head over to Starbucks, we truly enjoy our 400 calorie $4 beverages

13. Consignment shops and 2nd hand stores. I always thought Goodwill and Salvation Army when this topic came up.. And personally, I’ve had no luck there over the years. Little did I know there a lot of consignment shops in our area (2 right on main street in beacon, 1 in hopewell, 2 in fishkill) and these stores carry clothes of a higher quality. Got kids? Shop 2nd hand! There is a line of stores called Once Upon a Child that really has some amazing things for cheap prices. Really want something new? Go for it, just try and use a coupon I believe nothing good comes from never treating yourself. You just can’t do it all of the time.

I know there are some more things I’m missing but I’ll leave you with a few words instead: crock pot, coupons, research, passing on, clothes swapping, bulk bins, reusable bags, no waste, baking, creative cooking, less is more, creativity, Netflix, Redbox, single song downloads, Amazon free mp3 downloads, warehouse stores, free trials, do it yourself projects, hand wash and lastly the phrase “do I really need it?”

Please comment below with your money saving solutions! Good luck and have fun

I Recommend…

Hey all! Happy Monday!

Today all I want to do is recommend a few things to you. No one is paying me or is blackmailing me to do this. I just thought you might be interested in a few things I spend my time doing.

1 – Swagbucks. It’s a simple way to earn prizes online…just by using their search engine!

2 – Coupons. I do a lot of coupon searching and will probably do a full blog on it but here are a few blogs I recommend following:

3 – (In)courage. It’s a great womens devotional site that I love following:

Enjoy these sites – more to follow in another blog!